A Pune protest near the Collector’s Office on Saturday brought together demonstrators opposing the detention of protesters in New Delhi, alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and restrictions on public demonstrations. Participants also called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ demonstration began at around 5 pm and was held in solidarity with people detained in New Delhi during protests on 10 October. Protesters also expressed support for CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who, according to the report, were detained at Jantar Mantar on 13 October after unfurling the Tricolour, climbing barricades and entering the site.
The detentions followed the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. The development has placed renewed attention on how and where citizens can hold demonstrations in the national capital, while the Pune gathering extended that concern to a local public space outside the Collector’s Office.
Participants displayed posters listing their demands and raised slogans calling for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Slogans calling for revolution were also heard during the demonstration. The gathering included people from different age groups, communities and professions, according to the report.
One protester said the group opposed the idea that citizens should have to seek permission to disagree with the government and its actions. “We’re protesting here today because we disagree with the notion of asking for permission to protest. Protesting and disagreeing with the government and their actions is our fundamental right as citizens,” the protester said.
Another participant raised concerns about the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls. The protester alleged that eligible voters had been incorrectly marked as deceased, potentially affecting their ability to vote. “We’ve seen people who are alive and right in front of us declared deceased according to the SIR. This isn’t the case for one or two anomalies, instead it is hundreds and thousands of people to whom the right to vote was denied,” the protester said.
The allegations about electoral-roll entries were made by participants at the demonstration and were not independently established in the report. The protest therefore combined concerns about electoral administration with objections to the detention of demonstrators and the changing status of designated protest spaces.
The event concluded at around 6:30 pm. No further official response from the Election Commission, Delhi authorities or Pune’s district administration was reported in connection with the demonstration.
